Young women were raped and forced to work as prostitutes in Preston brothel court told

Two teenagers were raped and forced to work in a Preston brothel after believing they were coming to the UK to gain jobs as hotel maids, a court has heard.
Preston Crown CourtPreston Crown Court
Preston Crown Court

The women, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, believed defendants Marius Petre, 26, and Adrian Matei, 34, both of Longworth Street, Preston, were their boyfriends after meeting them in their native country Romania.

But after being driven and taken on a ferry to the UK, their 'boyfriends' changed, jurors at Preston Crown Court were told.

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They were taken to a house on Longworth Street, Preston, and forced to work as prostitutes after their 'services' were offered to punters online.

It is also alleged they were raped and threatened by the men, with one girl told she would be killed in a field.

Prosecuting, Bob Golinski, said: "The case involves the trafficking of two young Romanian girls into the UK the prosecution say for the purposes of sexual exploitation.

"Those two girls were put into prostitution by these defendants and further to that they were also raped by them.

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"It was the summer of 2015 when police became aware of some suspicious activity at an address in Preston on Longworth Street and on July 27 police officers and officers from other agencies went to that address.

"The defendants were all found at that address. Also at that address were our two complainants and two older females.

"When officers spoke to the two younger women it became clear that various offences had been committed by these three defendants.

"The two girls at the centre of this case had only at that time been in the UK for about two and a half weeks.

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"He added the girls said their relationships with the men had "completely changed" once they had arrived in Preston, adding: "In their nature they changed, and they changed very quickly. The prosecution say that change is an indicator of the way in which these young girls were exploited by the men they had trusted.

"They said they had met Petre and Matei only a few weeks before they were taken to England. When they met they became friendly and the defendants told the girls they would be able to get wok in the UK in hotels as maids.

"But in fact having gained their trust and bringing them to the UK a long way from home the defendants went on to threaten the girls and force them to work as prostitutes. they were taken to a house in Preston where they realised what they were going to be made to do.

"At the house were two older women, both of them already engaged in prostitution."

(proceeding)

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